# cooking steak on the grill question....



## backwoods (Sep 15, 2005)

My wife went out and bought a few newyork strip steaks today and she knows I can't cook a steak on the grill to safe my life:hn . Can someone give me some good ideas on how to cook them without drying them out too badly? 

The steaks are about an inch thick, I'm cooking on a gas grill, and we like them medium well:tg . So what does anyone recommend for times and grill settings?



Thanks for any replies:w


----------



## cb25 (Jun 12, 2006)

IMO - medium well usually dries out the steak. At least for me. I aim for medium-ish and that helps.

Honestly, it takes practice...and i'd take them off the fire just before you think they're done, as they tend to cook just a tad more after taking them off the grill.


----------



## King James (Dec 18, 2005)

just make 'em medium rare and I'll come over and have 'em


----------



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Medium heat, no more than 15 minutes total.

But I use charcoal, so it may be less time for you.


----------



## Warhorse545 (Oct 16, 2005)

Ok couple things there that might help. At least it works for me. 


Bring the steaks up to room temp before cooking. Hot grill and cold meat is not a good mix. I do not cook with gas so well this may or may not work for you. I get the heat to a point that I can hold my hand over the grill for a count of 5 before it gets hot enough for me to yank my hand away. To hot is not so good on a grill. 

I do not go so much with time as I do with feel. Each stage of done-ness of a steak will have a certain springy feel to it. The less spring the more cooked it is. And depending on the fat content of the meat the times to reach each stage can vary a lot. Your looking for firm but with some give for med-well. 

cb25 makes a great point. When you almost done pull them off the grill. 


Always let the meat rest for about 5 mins before cutting into them. This allows them to cool down a bit so that they do not lose all the juice when ya cut then. Keeps then from being dry. 



Hopes this helps some.


Stacey


----------



## TU09 (Mar 26, 2006)

One method many people use to find the "feeling" of medium-well is to place the tip of your ring finger and the tip of your thumb together and then poke the flesh at the base of the thumb (keep your hand relaxed or it won't work). Personally, I would not try to grill a one inch thick steak, it is simply too thin to work with and I am not familiar with cooking steakes to medium rare so these are simply general suggestions. 

If your grill has two burners, I would suggest setting one side to med-high and the other to a med-low (on my gas grill, all cook at different heats so just fairly hot on one side and significantly cooler but not quite low on the other). Sear the steakes on the hotter side and cook on the cooler side (this does not actually seal in juices as many claim but carmalizes sugars on the outside of the meat adding a nice flavor and the lower heat leaves the meat more tender because the heat is less direct). As Stacey said, do not puncture the steak until it has rested for about five minutes. The more you grill the less you will have to think about it. Good luck.


----------



## Foz (Apr 14, 2005)

To take this in a different direction, the best steaks I've cooked have been indoors. I rub down a steak with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, heat a skillet to medium-high and sear for 1 1/2 - 2 min per side, put the skillet in an oven (preheated to 350) for about 8 minutes and it comes out awesome. Just my :2 

Chris


----------



## Warhorse545 (Oct 16, 2005)

Foz said:


> To take this in a different direction, the best steaks I've cooked have been indoors. I rub down a steak with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, heat a skillet to medium-high and sear for 1 1/2 - 2 min per side, put the skillet in an oven (preheated to 350) for about 8 minutes and it comes out awesome. Just my :2
> 
> Chris


Someone watching Elton Brown 

Tis a good way to make a tender steak. But ya do not get the flavor ya get from cooking outside 

Stacey


----------



## ghostrider (Oct 30, 2005)

Do you have any plans on seasoning them? Not that it will affect how you grill, but inquiring minds want to know.

Best advice I can give you is to make sure your grill is not too hot. I have a gas grill, and let it heat up a couple minutes before I throw anything on it, then reduce the heat to at least halway or more. The thicker the steak, the lower I set it in order to cook more thoroughly. Wife likes them medium, I like them cooked just long enough to get the "mooo" out of them.


----------



## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

There is a chefs cheat to see how well done your steak is.... hold you hand palm up in front of you. Count the fingers away from your thumb. place the tip of your thumb on the various fingers, and feel the the palm of your hand at the base of your thumb.
Finger 1 (index finger) = rare
Finger 2 = med-rare
Finger 3 = medium
Finger 4 (pinky finger) = well done


----------



## ghostrider (Oct 30, 2005)

Lumpold said:


> There is a chefs cheat to see how well done your steak is.... hold you hand palm up in front of you. Count the fingers away from your thumb. place the tip of your thumb on the various fingers, and feel the the palm of your hand at the base of your thumb.
> Finger 1 (index finger) = rare
> Finger 2 = med-rare
> Finger 3 = medium
> Finger 4 (pinky finger) = well done


That's a great guide, but I'm not gonna stick my fingers on a hot steak on the grill to feel how firm it's getting.


----------



## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

fingers? Don't be a fool, use your tongs on the steak! Tsk... I dunno.... :r


----------



## qwerty1500 (Feb 24, 2006)

A grilling question ... just can't resist. 

The best advice has already been given ... it takes practice. Every grill and cut of meat is different. I also agree with the advice about taking it off just shortly before you think it's ready ... steak does tend to cook a bit after it's off the grill. 

The only advice I don't follow is to cook a steak slowly. That's fine with pork and chicken. I've found that steak does better over a hot fire. You just have to be careful not to over cook it ... that's where the practice comes in.

For medium-well 1 inch strips on a hot fire, I'd probably give them no more than 7 minutes a side. Since I know my grills, I only turn them once. If you are unsure of the situation and you turn them more frequently or use a lower heat, you might bump up the cooking time by a minute or two per side.

I probably cook supper 4-5 nights a week year-round on our Weber charcoal grill. We also have a gas grill on the deck of our condo at the Lake of the Ozarks. They both have their advantages but I prefer charcoal. Cooked and smoked everything you can imagine including the Thanksgiving turkey ... took all afternoon but was awsome.

One of the joys of my life is grilling supper with a martini and a good cigar.


----------



## whodat1 (Sep 7, 2005)

I'll go along with _HOT_ crowd. One of the best steak houses in the country, Ruth's Chris, uses an 1800 deg oven.

I like to sear a steak to keep the juices in. I get my grill as hot as I can and go 4-5 minutes on the first side, turn it over (you only turn a steak once!) and cook it anywhere from 7-12 minutes depending how you want it done.


----------



## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

Foz said:


> To take this in a different direction, the best steaks I've cooked have been indoors. I rub down a steak with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, heat a skillet to medium-high and sear for 1 1/2 - 2 min per side, put the skillet in an oven (preheated to 350) for about 8 minutes and it comes out awesome. Just my :2
> 
> Chris


I do something similar for the grill, use Italian dressing and a little fresh ground pepper and salt just before grilling them. Seems to help prevent charring the meat. Use a 3 flip method turning 90 degrees so you get the nice crosshatched pattern of the grill grates on the steak.


----------



## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

I think the others have covered things nicely. Steaks should be at room temperature. Grill should be hot. I salt both sides before I slap them on the grill. I personally find medium-well to be an offense, but my wife likes them like that. Take off before being done and let sit 10 minutes before cutting into them. Personally I think that gas grills suck (and I use one) but you can't beat the convenience. If you want good taste use charcoal or make sure to use some wood and smoke a bit.


----------



## backwoods (Sep 15, 2005)

:r thanks for the replies gang...I knew I was gonna get beat up for my gas grill and med-well steaks. Seasoning will probably be just some salt and pepper. My wife likes her A1 sauceu 

Should be cooking these tonight, I'll report on damages:hn 

Wish me luck!


----------



## TideRoll (Nov 7, 2005)

qwerty1500 said:


> A grilling question ... just can't resist.
> 
> The best advice has already been given ... it takes practice. Every grill and cut of meat is different. I also agree with the advice about taking it off just shortly before you think it's ready ... steak does tend to cook a bit after it's off the grill.
> 
> ...


I'm mostly with the "hot" crowd, but sometimes use somewhat lower heat later in the process. I think the hot proponents probably have to spend a bit more time at the grill, though, since the margin of error is smaller.

My process: I buy the best meat I can get. I buy fillets (cut on the pretty thick side) from a small but very discriminating butcher shop. When you find a great butcher, you gotta stick with him. My guy is obsessive about his beef, and I've never had a bad cut from him in more than a decade. Also, I've always tried to follow the advice of not using a fork (I use a spatula and/or some tongs).

I often use only a touch of salt, some ground pepper and some minced fresh garlic on my steaks, but there are plenty of rubs out there if that is your taste.

I like to put some hickory chips in some foil on the grill and crank that bad boy up to high. When the grill is VERY hot and the wood chips are starting to smoke well, I put the steaks on and close the lid. I keep the fire turned on high, and if I'm going for a fancy steakhouse look, I will make a quick quarter turn on each side a few minutes before I flip them. After both sides are seared and reddish, I will sometimes turn the heat down to medium on the steak side and move the steaks to the top rack. Since I usually cook mine to a rare or medium rare, I frequently do not turn the heat down at all and can usually be done before my wife has all the other goodies ready. No matter, it helps to let it sit, covered, for a few minutes before you eat it. I also like to finish my steaks off with a pat of butter and some garlic about thirty seconds before they come off the grill.

The finger to the meat of the thumb method is I used to get a feel for things, and as has been said, your grill will have its own personality, hot spots, etc. Happy grilling. Thanks to this thread, I am now resolved to go by my butcher shop sometime today. I somehow don't think I will be the only one. This stuff really makes me hungry just thinking about it.


----------



## galaga (Sep 18, 2003)

Of course too many chefs ruin the soup, but here's my 2cents on top of the other great advice, non of which I can disagree with. Only things different I do with gas is to get the grill hot as it will get before I put the steaks on, then cook each side until they are browned over full heat and then turn the fire down to finish the off. I also will brush them with olive oil before putting them on the grill. Using your watch will help in consistancy.


----------



## tadams17 (Nov 23, 2005)

I like to get the grill as hot as I can get it, then cook with the one flip method 3 to 5 minutes...I like mine Medium Rare...I also like to put them in a mixture of Soy,Worcheter, And Mcallens Canadian Steak seasoning for about 30 minutes before hand..


----------



## King James (Dec 18, 2005)

yah...for me a steak isn't a steak unless its got red still in it but to each his own. I'm not as bad as Stacey however, as he likes his steaks still mooing lol


----------



## TU09 (Mar 26, 2006)

As far as searing helping the meat to retain juices, Alton Brown did an interesting segment disproving this. He cooked two steaks to the same internal temperature after having seared one and not the other, let them both rest, and weighed each. The seared steak actually lost *more* weight and hence moisture relative to it's raw weight. Quite simply, if you heat food useing a dry cooking method such as grilling you loose moisture and there is no way to mittigate it. The bennefit to searing is the caramalization of sugars on the outside of the meat, just like caramalizing onions or anything else. I found this surprising as I had always been told that searing locked in juices but having gained more experience cooking, I know from my own experiences that this is not necessarily true.

The sugestion to reduce heat during cooking serves two purposes. 1) you can acheive the internal temperature you want without cooking the outside to death (more unifrom) and 2) it prevents charring which I am not fond of although some people prefer it.


----------



## cigar no baka (Sep 7, 2005)

whodat1 said:


> I'll go along with _HOT_ crowd. One of the best steak houses in the country, Ruth's Chris, uses an 1800 deg oven.
> 
> I like to sear a steak to keep the juices in. I get my grill as hot as I can and go 4-5 minutes on the first side, turn it over (you only turn a steak once!) and cook it anywhere from 7-12 minutes depending how you want it done.


Jim you da man!! I also cook on HOT, I get my grill really hot then slap the steaks down, just a few minutes per side, then put them over the part of the grill I didn't light (I have three burners) and do the poke test to see how soft they are. If they are still too soft (too rare) I turn down the heat then put them back over the heat until I hit somewhere near medium rare, but I like it a hair over medium rare.

Then you slather them up with rich creamery buttery garlicky sauce, wait about five minutes, and be the carnivore that you were born to be!! And savor every mouth-watering, bloody bite!!


----------



## Aaron (Nov 28, 2005)

Lumpold said:


> There is a chefs cheat to see how well done your steak is.... hold you hand palm up in front of you. Count the fingers away from your thumb. place the tip of your thumb on the various fingers, and feel the the palm of your hand at the base of your thumb.
> Finger 1 (index finger) = rare
> Finger 2 = med-rare
> Finger 3 = medium
> Finger 4 (pinky finger) = well done


I'm feeling dense, here, with these "finger" methods of testing. Exactly where is the STEAK in this? I'm in my office at my computer and can hold my right hand up, palm in front of me and my grill isn't even on nor is there a steak in my frig and I don't quite see how touching my thumb translates into the done-ness level of the steak.


----------



## Lopez (Mar 14, 2006)

Here's my routine: Leave steak out long enough for it to get pretty close to room temp. That's a good time to add any rub or (horrors) marinade you're planning on despoiling your steak with. I use a three burner Weber propane gas (makes a difference whether you're using propane or natural gas - propane will burn hotter than natural gas). I warm up the grill by turning all three burners on, leaving the lid down. When the temp gets > 500 degrees, I turn the middle burner off and put my 1 1/2" thick steaks in the middle (i.e., not over a direct flame). 7 minutes on each side, put a pat of butter on each steak 1 minute before the second side is done. This will get you a medium steak.


----------



## TideRoll (Nov 7, 2005)

Aaron said:


> I'm feeling dense, here, with these "finger" methods of testing. Exactly where is the STEAK in this? I'm in my office at my computer and can hold my right hand up, palm in front of me and my grill isn't even on nor is there a steak in my frig and I don't quite see how touching my thumb translates into the done-ness level of the steak.


With your right hand, loosely touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. With your left index finger, touch the meaty part of your thumb and observe the relative level of firmness. Work your way to your pinky to get progressively firmer (i.e. level of doneness). Now, take your left index finger and thumb and lightly pinch the bottock of your sweetie. If she slaps you, then you you can go back to cooking.

I'd like to know who the person was who actually figured this little finger thumb system out. It is one of those things which is out there in front of you but not so obvious...


----------



## Aaron (Nov 28, 2005)

Lopez said:


> Here's my routine: Leave steak out long enough for it to get pretty close to room temp. That's a good time to add any rub or (horrors) marinade you're planning on despoiling your steak with. I use a three burner Weber propane gas (makes a difference whether you're using propane or natural gas - propane will burn hotter than natural gas). I warm up the grill by turning all three burners on, leaving the lid down. When the temp gets > 500 degrees, I turn the middle burner off and put my 1 1/2" thick steaks in the middle (i.e., not over a direct flame). 7 minutes on each side, put a pat of butter on each steak 1 minute before the second side is done. This will get you a medium steak.


Can't imagine steak with much more than big kosher salt, some black pepper, and a little onion and garlic powder. The sauces are for chicken IMO... or if I turned away and overdid the steak.


----------



## Warhorse545 (Oct 16, 2005)

King James said:


> yah...for me a steak isn't a steak unless its got red still in it but to each his own. I'm not as bad as Stacey however, as he likes his steaks still mooing lol


Knock the horns off, clean it's ass and run a bic lighter down both sides and I am ready to eat. 

Stacey


----------



## Aaron (Nov 28, 2005)

TideRoll said:


> With your right hand, loosely touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. With your left index finger, touch the meaty part of your thumb and observe the relative level of firmness. Work your way to your pinky to get progressively firmer (i.e. level of doneness). Now, take your left index finger and thumb and lightly pinch the bottock of your sweetie. If she slaps you, then you you can go back to cooking.
> 
> I'd like to know who the person was who actually figured this little finger thumb system out. It is one of those things which is out there in front of you but not so obvious...


I had to relax my hand to get this to work. It was the "loosely" part that didn't work. Bad habit of a strong right hand grip.


----------



## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

I do 2 flips. The more you flip the more juices fall off. Medium is all you need to cook and it is good and safe. I've had to teach the wife that. Can't exactly tell you how to make it there, I go mostly by feel. 

I normally do flip 1 when it is getting light brown towards the top edges then do a flip and leave for just a few minutes and should be good to go. Make sure the grill is hot hot hot. don't throw in the too early when it is still heating up.


----------



## warden291 (May 16, 2006)

whodat1 said:


> I'll go along with _HOT_ crowd. One of the best steak houses in the country, Ruth's Chris, uses an 1800 deg oven.
> 
> I like to sear a steak to keep the juices in. I get my grill as hot as I can and go 4-5 minutes on the first side, turn it over (you only turn a steak once!) and cook it anywhere from 7-12 minutes depending how you want it done.


Ditto on the searing of the steak...that is the key to a nice juicy steak.
However I like to put butter on my steaks for a little added "healthy"  flavor.
...so I tend to sear the meat only 3 minutes....maybe because my grill gets a little too toasty .... any longer and the butter dripping and flaming might cause the siding on my garage to melt!! 
I also then flip the steaks and place them in the middle of the grill with the middle burner on low & the remaining burners on med/high...7-10 minutes depending on the thickness...hope this helps.
warden291.


----------



## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

Aaron said:


> I'm feeling dense, here, with these "finger" methods of testing. Exactly where is the STEAK in this? I'm in my office at my computer and can hold my right hand up, palm in front of me and my grill isn't even on nor is there a steak in my frig and I don't quite see how touching my thumb translates into the done-ness level of the steak.


:r I apologise for not explaining this clearer. I suppose workin in pubs and filling in gaps in the kitchen rota alot, I just kinda do it by instinct.... there is another one involving rare being the feel of the jaw at the back, right before the ear, med-rare being about halfway along the jaw to the chin, med being on the chin, and well done being the tip of your nose... but there you go.


----------



## backwoods (Sep 15, 2005)

Maybe I missed this, but does everyone cook with lid down...or up?


----------



## Aaron (Nov 28, 2005)

backwoods said:


> Maybe I missed this, but does everyone cook with lid down...or up?


Down for heat. Up for flame. Probably 90% of the time down, 10% up for a little charring.


----------



## backwoods (Sep 15, 2005)

Alrighty then....I just got done eating some steak:dr . Preheated grill for 15 minutes, threw the steaks on the top rack on one side and turned that burner down to medium. 8minutes,flip,8minutes,flip,and and another 2 minutes and done! onto the plate, covered with some foil, rested for 10 minutes and presto....perfect med well steaks. And they were awesome!!


thanks for the tips guys!:w


----------



## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

backwoods said:


> Maybe I missed this, but does everyone cook with lid down...or up?


prefer lid down.



> perfect med well steaks. And they were awesome!!


GREAT! Glad they turned out great for you.


----------



## Zenistar (Jun 19, 2006)

I cook nearly every day during the summer on a gas grill, for steaks one thing I always do is leave them at room temperature in a marinade for a couple of hours before cooking, then slap them onto a hot grill.

The grill is normally warmed up but putting both burners on full with the lid down, then open the lid up after about 5 mins and turn one side down to medium.

Steaks go directly onto the hot side and normally some marinade drips to cause flame and some nice charring  A minute each side on the hot grill then onto the medium grill with the lid down until cooked as required, max normally a few minutes for a medium steak. To be honest I dont use the finger method, I suppose im just used to the grill and can normally time the cooking pretty well depending on what is needed. Personally I eat rare steaks which cook for a couple of minutes max.

The marinade we often use is olive oil, a couple of shots of Sothern Comfort, a good spoon of mustard and plenty of salt and pepper.


----------

